A WIDNES-BORN big cat hunter has offered to help track down the town's mystery beast after he appeared in a Channel 4 documentary.

Simon Goldfinch, who left Widnes in 1992 for British Colombia, appeared in Alien Big Cats an investigation into the sightings of the panther-like beasts.

The programme followed Simon and Canadian expert Peter Wise as they hunted large predators in Canada and Britain.

It came hot on the heels of a sighting of a terrifying black panther in Widnes.

Simon started tracking the beasts last year after trapping several huge felines near his Canadian home.

Simon said: 'I'd always known about the big cats, but last year it seemed I was catching a lot of wild cats near my home. So I thought I'd get involved with trying to catch a big one.'

Popular theories suggest the cats are panthers, leopards or pumas released by exotic pet owners back in the 1970s when it became illegal to own dangerous animals without a licence.

Some believe the cats have been breeding and their descendants are now roam wild in the peaceful British countryside.

Just a fortnight ago, the Weekly News investigated an alleged sighting of a huge black cat, known as the Beast of Widnes, which left local golfer Paul Burns utterly gobsmacked as he prepared to take a shot on the 16th green at St Michael's Golf Course.

Simon offered some advice for any budding big-game hunters in Widnes.

He said: 'There are all sorts of ways of catching them. It is possible to catch them in cages in the trees, using fresh bait. It's certainly possible there are big cats in England, but I found no evidence whatsoever.

'I have pictures of dogs that have been attacked by big cats, but there was certainly no sign of that happening over there.'

Simon recommended first finding evidence like footprints. Footprints without claw marks belong to cats, footprints with claws are always a dog's.

He said that if the footprints are fresh the cat should be easy to track down. Simon first choice of hunting partner is a small dog which makes a lot of noise.

He said that when cats are disturbed they automatically climb the nearest tree, making them a good place to look.

Simon said he might consider returning to help Widnesians catch their beast.

He said: 'I'd love to have a go at it. If some evidence is found I would certainly consider coming back.'